5 Colorado Students Making The Centennial State Proud

Colorado is full of bright, driven young people making a difference in and out of the classroom. That’s why Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to spotlight students excelling in academics, athletics and community service.

Check out five exceptional Colorado students making a big impact. And if you know a student who deserves a shoutout, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate them for a chance to be featured as a Star Student on Patch!

Davita Bird (Golden) — Davita Bird is a current undergraduate at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. She was recently named a 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Program semifinalist, with hopes to teach English in Taiwan through the English Teaching Assistant Award. Davita, who will earn a B.S. in Computer Science with a computer engineering focus this year, brings a student-centered, research-backed mindset to the classroom and a global outlook to every project. When she's not serving as a teaching assistant or educator in the DecTech program, she's coding smarter solutions with an eye toward the green energy transition. Her ultimate goal: combining software innovation with sustainability to power a better future. Read more here.

Noah Buschke (Golden) — Noah Buschke, a senior at Lakewood High School and a 2025 Daniels Scholarship Program finalist, is a standout student and athlete. As a First Team Academic All-State honoree and varsity athlete in cross country and track & field, he balances academic excellence with athletic dedication. Noah also completed a year-long Audio & Music Production program at Warren Tech, developing skills in mixing, mastering, and vocal production using Pro Tools. Whether coaching young athletes at Skyhawks or exploring future paths in music production or sports media, Noah brings heart, hustle and curiosity to every endeavor. Read more here.

Grace Taub (Denver) — As one of just three 2025 National Merit Semifinalists from East High School, Grace Taub stands out not only for her academic excellence, but for her tireless work in civic engagement and social advocacy. As the co-founder and co-president of East’s Students Demand Action chapter, Grace has spent years organizing voter drives, rallies and legislative summits, testifying on key issues like gun violence prevention in both local and state government. Her advocacy—featured by outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The Economist—has helped lead to policy victories and greater youth political engagement. Grace is also an accomplished constitutional law intern, Model UN leader and speech and debate competitor, earning top honors in national competitions. Read more here.

Ady Mittlestadt (Rye) — A recent graduate of Rye High School, Ady Mittlestadt has been named one of just three recipients of the 2025 World Changers Scholarship from Colorado Christian University (CCU) in Lakewood. This full-tuition award honors students who exemplify academic excellence and service-driven leadership, which Ady more than earned with her perfect 4.0 GPA and a 1220 SAT score. Ady plans to major in Pre-Med at CCU and pursue a career in healthcare. “Ady’s dedication to both academic excellence and serving others is a true reflection of what it means to be a world changer,” said CCU President Eric Hogue in a statement. Read more here.

Amelia Marcum (Aurora) — Amelia Marcum, a 2021 graduate of Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora and current senior at Stanford University in California, received top prize in the 2024 Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Scholarships. She received $30,000 from DAV for her extraordinary volunteer service supporting Native American veterans. A direct descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Amelia authored a 70-page veterans resource guide now used at tribal service centers across North Dakota. She’s interned with Deloitte and served as a Peer Career Coach and Economics Course Grader at Stanford while majoring in Economics and International Relations. Amelia plans to pursue a public service career focused on advocating for marginalized communities. Read more here.

These exceptional students are just a glimpse of the incredible talent in Colorado. The future is certainly looking bright! If you know a Star Student making an impact in your community, nominate them today to be featured on Patch!